Recent Pubic Lectures & Invited Talks:
Technical Talks & Workshops:
- SSU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Science Club,
October 2019: Abstract – The rise of the Information Technology has revolutionized every facet of our existence. At the heart of this upheaval is the Internet. In this talk we discuss the goods and bads of the Internet and Internet-of-Things. Slides
- 2019 Sensor Expo: A full-day workshop at Sensors Expo & Conference 2019, JUNE 25-27, 2019 (EXPO: JUNE 26-27) | SAN JOSE, CA. Full course details are available here. Presented by Professor Shivakumar Mathapathi, Dr. Mikael Lindvall & Professor Farid Farahmand. Abstract: This Pre-Conference Symposium provides teaches attendees IoT fundamentals, building blocks, and discover how the sensors can be programmed to interface with IoT hardware cloud platforms and operating systems such as BaSys 4.0 designed by Fraunhofer. It provides the marketing and design aspects needed in integrating smart sensors into IoT framework(s). The agenda is structured to be useful for BD, marketing, designers, architect, hardware engineers and software developers and covers lab sessions to provide demo of a few IoT applications such as home automation, environmental, Agriculture, health care and Industrial 4.0 domains. Slides: Part I and Part II. Please email Dr. Farahmand or Professor Mathapathi, to receive access code.
- 2018 GHTC IoT Workshop (Part I, Part II) - A half-day workshop at 2018 IEEE GHTC conference. Presented by Professor Shivakumar Mathapathi, Professor Farid Farahmand. Abstract: This tutorial is a two part tutorial on IoT. The first part covers the basic principles of Internet of Things (IoT), design, infrastructure, connectivity and the core concepts of IoT such as sensing, processing and reporting the data to the cloud. The second part describes the implementation, prototype and few use cases. The attendees will learn various types of IoT hardware such as Intel and ARM mBed family, Sensor connectivity protocols including UART, GPIO and I2C. The instructor will also cover topics on Cloud platform and Analytics. In this workshop, the Cloud technologies explained are AWS IoT, IBM Bluemix, Microsoft Azure and GE Predix. At the end, the audience will have an opportunity to witness few demonstrations on analytics. Please email Dr. Farahmand or Professor Mathapathi, to receive access code.
Non-Technical Talks:
- War & Peace Lecture - Fall 2015 (part III & part VI)) - Abstract: In this talk we explore how Internet algorithms impact our online decisions and activities. We briefly describe what Internet algorithms are and how the leading high-tech companies, including Amazon, Google, and facebook, utilize such algorithms to further personalize their users' online experience. While such data personalization algorithms provide greater conveniences for users, they can also contribute to more isolation, less tolerance, and limited diverse perspective; a form of what is referred as the "soft censorship". In conclusion, we point out that as Internet and data personalization algorithms take greater roles over our digital world, they assume greater control over our lives. This in turn leads to power amplification of a small group of brilliant minds to decide for the rest of the society.
- PD Analytics: A High-Precision Platform for Treatment Evaluation of Parkinson Disease (pdf) - May 21, 2015 - Abstract: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous
system, which significantly deteriorates the quality of life especially in
the elderly. Today, in the United States alone almost a million
individuals have been diagnosed with the disease, making PD an
increasingly medical concern. Sadly, as of today, there is no cure for PD.
Furthermore, commonly practiced methods are mainly qualitative (not
quantitative) and thus fail to evaluate the progress of the disease and it
attributes.
In this presentation we discuss our proof-of-concept implementation of a
specialized hardware & software platform, called PD Analytics, that can
perform tremor data acquisition, analysis, and management. The purpose of
the PD Analytics prototype is to allow neurologists and researchers to
easily quantify hand tremor in terms of its severity, patterns, and
behavior during ON and OFF medication periods under free-living
environment over several days. The success of this project is a key step
towards our longer-term objective where we would like to develop a tremor
model to track the progress of the Parkinson¹s disease. We believe
quantifying, visualizing, and sharing PD attributes can lead to greater
understanding of its progress, promoting collaborative diagnostics, and
ultimately optimizing patient-specific therapy; all of which can result in
improvement of patient care and quality of life.
- A Teaching Experience in Ghana (pdf)- Fall 2013 - Abstract – In this talk, we explore the challenges and rewards of teaching overseas. We share some of our personal experiences during our 7-month stay in Ghana and point out the difficulties facing academic institutions in the country. We examine opportunities for introducing new technologies to improve the education system in developing countries. We further recount on the importance of "appropriate" technologies aiming at improving the standard of living for the developing world. We offer personal accounts as to how such technologies can greatly impact living conditions of many people and how students, particularly STEM majors, can be engaged in collaborative multidisciplinary international projects involving humanitarian technologies. Finally, we conclude by presenting available volunteer opportunities for faculty and students to visit West African countries and potential contributions they can make, while experiencing the incredible natural beauty, cultural richness, and human kindness in the region.
- War & Peace Lecture - Fall 2012 (part I) - Abstract – The rise of the Information Technology has revolutionized every facet of our existence. At the heart of this upheaval is the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web technology. The Internet was introduced as a tool of freedom, freeing its users from any physical limitation, a challenge to media monopoly through enabling the free flow of information, and thus a new realm in which the power of institutions over people would be eroded. In this discussion we explore contradictions of the Internet and the Web, both in the ways we use them and the ways they operate. Undoubtedly, these technologies offer tremendous convenience and innovative ways connecting people together. Yet, as we point out, they are increasingly being embraced as instruments of control, monitoring, and oppression by powerful institutions and governments. In fact, the Internet and the Web, similar to any other technology, are far from neutral and their power can only be understood within the existing socio-economic forces.
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